An American version of a tapas bar, Havana Nights is the perfect spot for an early or late-night mini-meal with live musical accompaniment. Located above Maison Martinique, it is a pretty bar, with tables and soothing white booths bedecked with comfy pillows that seem to suck the stress right out of you.

The appetizer-only menu features some outstanding choices among the little plates. Foremost among them is the saut'&amp;eacuteed shrimp curry ($16), a heady blend of cumin and other spices that make the shrimp taste all the sweeter. Grilled Louisiana sausage with saut'&amp;eacuteed apples ($12) features a robust, garlicky red sausage tamed by perfectly cubed apples. Presentation counts at Havana Nights, and the plates rarely disappoint.

Two specials of the evening were noteworthy: the saut'&amp;eacuteed soft shell crabs with basil and butter ($16) and the sea scallops in a beurre blanc sauce ($16), which were sweet and ocean fresh.

The black bean soup served with onions and sour cream ($7) was one of the best I've ever eaten. Redolent with pork and spoon sticking thick, the beans were perfectly cooked and tasty with garlic, onions, oregano and a dash of red wine. I easily could have eaten another bowl.

The lobster bisque ($8) was a dark orange color, arrived at by a slow reduction of the lobster broth and cream. It was a tad salty for some, although I found it unbelievably smooth and satisfying, and blasting with the essence of lobster.

The cold soup of the day, watercress ($7), had a spritely bite that was tempered by pur'&amp;eacuteed potato.

Salads were good, but not great. The Caesar ($10) was tasty if a but soggy; and the house salad ($8) was full of fresh field greens but the dressing tasted only of garlic and oil.

An assortment of three delicious profiteroles ($12) provided just enough sweetness to crown a very pleasant evening. Four of us paid $166 for the evening, including specialty drinks like the mojito ($9).

Diana Foote dines anonymously at the expense of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact her at foodgal@comcast.net